Counting in Santaa

Language overview

Santaa, or The Voice in the Chimney, is a fun artistic language designed by Robbie Cole, aka Agma Schwa, in December 2021. The language is based on the classic Santa Claus “Ho, ho, ho!”, with six tones and ingressive sounds. It also has a Verb-Subject-Object order, a hortative modality (“Let’s go!”), no first person (as it would be unchristmaslike to put focus on oneself).

The base 25

Santaa numbers follow a base 25 numeral system. To better understand this numeral system, let’s start with a more familiar one: the decimal system. In the decimal system (or base-10), we have ten digits, from zero to nine. When we add 1 (one) to 9 (nine), we get 10 (ten), or the unit 1 (one) followed by 0 (zero). This system is positional (the digits represent the units, and their rank the matching power of ten). Thus, 132 decomposes in 100 + 30 + 2 = 1*10² + 3 *10¹ + 2 *10⁰. This system is also known as a positional decimal numeral system.
Base-25 uses “digits” from 0 to 24. Its first ten is twenty-five in decimal (25₁₀ = 10₂₅), the base is noted in subscript. The decomposition of a base-25 number (in a positional system) is the same as the one of a decimal number, only the base changes: (132)₂₅ = 1*25² + 3 *25¹ + 2 *25⁰. If we carry it out, we get the matching decimal number, here 750.

Santaa numbering rules

Now that you’ve had a gist of the most useful numbers, let’s move to the writing rules for the tens, the compound numbers, and why not the hundreds, the thousands and beyond (if possible).

• Each number word is based on a word in Santa’s process preparing for the toys delivery, like December, awaken, plan, build, logistics, wrap… To which is added a substractive system down to three levels, symbolized by the word hɔ̋ (eve), and an additive system up to three levels, symbolized by the word ħħó̽̏ (more).
• Base-25 digits from one to twenty-four are: hɔ̄̋̄ [1] (December), hⱶ̀̀̋ [2] (awaken), ò̀̀ħħħ [3] (plan), ħȍ̀̽ [4] (build), ħȍ̀̽ ħħó̽̏ [5] (build more), ħȍ̀̽ ħħó̽̏ ħħó̽̏ [6] (build more more), ħȍ̀̽ ħħó̽̏ ħħó̽̏ ħħó̽̏ [7] (build more more more), ō̽̏h [8] (logistics), ō̽̏h ħħó̽̏ [9] (logistics more), ō̽̏h ħħó̽ ħħó̽̏ [A₂₅/10₁₀] (logistics more more), ō̽̏h ħħó̽ ħħó̽̏ ħħó̽̏ [B₂₅/11₁₀] (logistics more more more), hhhⱶ̏̋̽ [C₂₅/12₁₀] (wrap), hhhⱶ̏̋̽ ħħó̽̏ [D₂₅/13₁₀] (wrap more), hhhⱶ̏̋̽ ħħó̽̏ ħħó̽̏ [E₂₅/14₁₀] (wrap more more), hhhhhɔ̄̀ hɔ̋ hɔ̋ hɔ̋ [F₂₅/15₁₀] (list eve eve eve, and not wrap more more more), hhhhhɔ̄̀ hɔ̋ hɔ̋ [G₂₅/16₁₀] (list eve eve), hhhhhɔ̄̀ hɔ̋ [H₂₅/17₁₀] (list eve), hhhhhɔ̄̀ [I₂₅/18₁₀] (list), ò̀̀ħħħħ [J₂₅/19₁₀] (wait), ⱶ̽̽̄hhh hɔ̋ [K₂₅/20₁₀] (solstice eve), ⱶ̽̽̄hhh [L₂₅/21₁₀] (solstice), ħɔ̏ hɔ̋ hɔ̋ hɔ̋ [M₂₅/22₁₀] (Christmas eve eve eve), ħɔ̏ hɔ̋ hɔ̋ [N₂₅/23₁₀] (Christmas eve eve), and ħɔ̏ hɔ̋ [O₂₅/24₁₀] (Christmas eve).
• The first base-25 ten is ħɔ̏ [10₂₅/25₁₀] (Christmas). The following tens are: hⱶ̀̀̋ ħɔ̏ [20₂₅/50₁₀] (awaken Christmas, or 2*10₂₅), ò̀̀ħħħ ħɔ̏ [30₂₅/75₁₀] (plan Christmas, or 3*10₂₅), ħȍ̀̽ ħɔ̏ [40₂₅/100₁₀] (build Christmas, or 4*10₂₅), ħȍ̀̽ ħħó̽̏ ħɔ̏ [50₂₅/125₁₀] (build more Christmas), ħȍ̀̽ ħħó̽̏ ħħó̽̏ ħɔ̏ [60₂₅/150₁₀] (build more more Christmas), ħȍ̀̽ ħħó̽̏ ħħó̽̏ ħħó̽̏ ħɔ̏ [70₂₅/175₁₀] (build more more more Christmas), ō̽̏h ħɔ̏ [80₂₅/200₁₀] (logistics Christmas, or 8*10₂₅), ō̽̏h ħħó̽̏ ħɔ̏ [90₂₅/225₁₀] (logistics more Christmas), ō̽̏h ħħó̽̏ ħħó̽̏ ħɔ̏ [A0₂₅/250₁₀] (logistics more more Christmas), ō̽̏h ħħó̽ ħħó̽̏ ħħó̽̏ ħɔ̏ [B0₂₅/275₁₀] (logistics more more more Christmas)…
• Compound numbers are formed by starting with the ten, followed by the unit, for example: ħȍ̀̽ ħɔ̏ hɔ̄̋̄ [41₂₅/101₁₀] (build Christmas December). However, one exception remains, that of 31₁₀ which is ɒ̏̽́ħħħħħ [F₂₅/31₁₀] (hibernate). We can certainly continue the series up to ɒ̏̽́ħħħħħ ħħó̽ ħħó̽̏ ħħó̽̏ [I₂₅/34₁₀] (hibernate more more more), but new number names are missing to get to 49₁₀, or 1O₂₅.
• The first hundred in Santaa is ħħó̽̏ ħɔ̏ [100₂₅/625₁₀] (more Christmas).

Source

• Santaa – The Voice in the Chimney

Other artistic languages

Aczu Śavnecze, Aramteskan, Arodjun, Atlantean, Atrian, Ayeri, Azazilúŝ, Barsoomian, Bayën, Belter Creole, Brooding, Chakobsa, Dai, Dovahzul, D’ni, Elder Speech, Engála, Epigean, Giak, Gnóma, Grayis, Gryomian, Hiuʦɑθ, Hylian, Illitan, Ithkuil, Itláni, Kala, Kēlen, Kiitra, KiLiKi, Láadan, Mini, Mondir, Na’vi, Neziba, Nìmpyèshiu, Santaa, Shiväisith, Siinyamda, Toki Pona, Tpaalha, Trigedasleng, Tsevhu, Tüchte, Va Ehenív, Valthungian, Verdurian, Wardwesân, and Wóxtjanato.

Other supported languages

As the other currently supported languages are too numerous to list extensively here, please select a language from the full list of supported languages.